Adjustable foldable fence



Dec. 26, 1961 A. E. MAY, JR 3,014,700

ADJUSTABLE FOLDABLE FENCE Filed Sept. 21, 1959 INVENTOR. ARTHUR E. MAY,JR.

ATTO R N EY hit This invention relates to foldable wire fences of thetype designed for use particularly in gardens and on lawns, both forprotective and for ornamental purposes, and, more specifically, relatesto such fences which are formed of a series of identical, relativelysmall, sections hinged together so as to enable a considerable length offence to be folded up into a compact package for shipment or storage,and also so as to enable the fence to be quickly, easily and removablyset up on the ground as desired.

Such folding fences can be set up into any shape to conform to the shapedesired for a particular protective or border fence line, provided theground on which the fence is to be set up is not too irregular. However,one of the common difiiculties encountered with such fences has been thefact that they could not be properly set up in locations where changesof ground level or contour occur.

An object of the present invention accordingly is to provide an improvedfence of this general type which, in addition to being foldable, willalso be adjustable to such extent when set up that it can be made toextend continuously over ground irregularities and contour changes.

Another and specific object of the invention is to provide an improvedprotective and ornamental foldable fence, formed of identical sections,in which the individual sections will be adjustable up and down withrespect to each other when the fence is being set up, but in which anindividual section can also be quickly and easily detached from orattached to an adjacent section in the fence.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved adjustablefoldable fence which will be simple and practical in construction, andwhich will be inexpensive to manufacture and thereby capable of meetingthe market demand for an adjustable as Well as a foldable fence of thetype indicated.

The manner in which these objects are attained and the manner in whichthis improved fence of the present invention is constructed, willbe-readily understood from the following brief description withreference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation showing a length of the fence set up on anirregular ground surface and illustrating the adjustability of the fencefor such ground conditions;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1,illustrating the details of the adjustable means by which the separatesections are attached together;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation taken on the line indicated at 3-3 ofFIG. 2. and drawn to the same scale as FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view taken on line 4-4 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan section, similar to FIG. 2 of the fence,illustrating the fence as made from square wire rods instead of roundwire. 7

Referring first to FIG. 1, the fence is composed of a series ofidentical sections, each indicated in general by the reference character10. Each section consists of a substantially rigid frame formed of metalwires or rods welded in place at their cross joints. Each section has apair of lower and upper, substantially parallel, main members 11 and 12on which the other members of the Patented Dec. 26, 1961 section orframe are mounted. In the preferred design, as illustrated in FIG. 1, alonger wire 13 in the form of an inverted U, having a pair of straightupright portions 14, 14 extending below and above the lower and uppermain members 11 and 12, and connected at the top by the curved portionof the wire, is centrally positioned intermediate the ends of the mainmembers 11 and 12 in each section and is secured to these main members,preferably by welding, where the upright portions 14, 14 cross the mainmembers. A shorter wire 15, formed into a narrower, similarly invertedloop, having shorter upright portions 16, 16 is centrally positioned andspaced within the larger wire 13 in each section, with the uprightportions 16, 16 of the wire 13 substantially parallel to thecorresponding portions 14, 14 of the longer wire and with these portionssimilarly secured to the main members 11 and 12 where they cross themain members. The upright portions 14, 14 of the longer wire extend downfurther below the lower main member 11 than the corresponding portions16, 16 of the inner shorter wire and constitute the legs for thesection, the bottom ends of these legs being forced into the ground tohold the section upright in the ground when the fence is set in place.

The ends of the lower main member 11 are turned upwardly at right anglesin each section, as shown at 11A and 1113 in FIG. 2 and 3, and the endsof the upper main member 12 are turned downwardly at right angles, asshown at 12A and 123 in FIG. 3, so as to be in alignment with thecorresponding upturned ends 11A and 11B respectively of the lower mainmember in each section. A sleeve 17, broadened transversely intosubstantially elliptical or oval shape in cross section, and having alongitudinal slot 17 along one side extending from one end of the sleeveto the other, is mounted on the upturned and downwardly turned ends 11Aand 12A respectively of each section, the length of this sleevecorresponding substantially to the entire distance between the members11 and 12. A similar sleeve 18 is mounted on the other ends 11B and 12Bof the main members 11 and 12 of each section. The sleeve 1d has asimilar longitudinal slot 18 '(see FIGS. 2 and 4) extending the entirelength of the sleeve, but the slots of the sleeves 1'7 and 18 arelocated on opposite sides.

Consequently, when two sections it are to be placed adjacent each otherin forming a length of fence, the two adjacent sleeves 17 and 18 of thetwo sections can be slid into each other through their slots, as shownin :FIGS. 2 and 4, and in this way form a slip-joint connection betweenthe two sections. It will'be apparent that, when I two sections areconnected in this manner, each can be raised or lowered to a limitedextent with respect to the other without causing the two sections tobecome disconnested. Thus when a length of fence, formed of severalseparate sections connected in this manner, is required to be extendedover uneven ground having changing contour or slope, as illustrated bythe ground G in FIG. 1, the slip-joint connection between the differentsections of the fcncewill enable the fence to accommodate itself to theslope or irregularities of the ground surface without breaking thecontinuity of the fence. Obviously this could not be done'if. thesections were hinged together, as heretofore customary, in such mannerthat no section could be raised above or lowered below its adjoiningsections. At the same time this slip-joint connection between thesections enables one section to be lifted entirely above an adjoiningsection so as to separate such sections completely. Byslipping onesleeve endwise into another sleeve two sections of the fence areconnected together in a quick and easy manner. No snapping of hingeloops or other troublesome operations are required either to attach twosections of the fence together or to detach one section completely fromanother.

Although the FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive illustrate the fence sections asformed of wire which is circular in cross section, obviously it wouldalso be possible to carry out the invention in a similar folding fencein which the sections were formed wholly or in part of wire or rodshaving a different cross sectional shape. Thus FIG. 5 illustratesportions of adjacent sections of such foldable adjustable fence in whichsquare shaped rods 19 are used for the lower main members of eachsection, these main members having upturned ends 19A and 198. Thesleeves forming the slip-joint could be similar to those shown in FIG.2, or, if preferred, could be shaped to conform in part more closely tothe square rods on which they are mounted, as illustrated by the sleeves20- and 21.

Other modifications could of course be possible without departing fromthe principle of the invention. For example, the design of theindividual sections could be changed in various ways, as long as thechange in design does not prevent the mounting of sleeves at the ends ofthe sections and with the sleeves so arranged that a simple andeffective slip-joint is formed by the companion sleeves of adjacentsections.

I claim:

1. In a foldable fence of the character described comprising a pluralityof similar sections adapted to be connected together, improved meansconnecting each pair of adjacent fence sections and providing acombination hinge joint and adjustable slip joint between the pair offence sections, said means comprising a pair of sleeves hingedly carriedon the adjacent ends of the pair of fence sections respectively, eachsleeve being elongated in cross section so as to have a pair ofrelatively broad side faces and a pair of narrower end faces, one ofsaid broad side faces in each sleeve formed with a slot extending theentire length of the sleeve, the sleeves in each pair arranged withtheir slots at opposite sides respectively, whereby the outer portion ofeach sleeve beyond its supporting fence section may be slid into placein the slot of the companion sleeve and thereby enable the pair ofconnected fence sections to be freely raised or lowered with respect toeach other.

2. In a foldable fence in the character described comprising a pluralityof similar sections adapted to be connected together, improved meansconnecting each pair of adjacent fence sections and providing acombination hinge joint and adjustable slip joint between the pair offence sections, said means consisting of a pair of identical sleeveshingedly carried on the adjacent ends of the pair of fence sectionsrespectively, each sleeve being elongated in cross section so as to havea pair of relatively broad side faces and a pair of narrower end faces,one of said broad side faces in each sleeve formed with a centrallypositioned slot extending the entire length of the sleeve, the sleevesin each pair arranged with their slots inopposite sides respectively,whereby the outer portion of each sleeve beyond its supporting fencesection may be slid 0 into place in the slot of the companion sleeve andthereby enable the pair of connected fence sections to be freely raisedor lowered with respect to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,842,344 Todd July 8, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 562,227 Canada Aug. 26, 1958

